The shout was crisp and loud, and as soon as it rang out, the chatter inside the outhouse instantly died down.  

Within seconds, the sound of retching came from inside.  

“Blergh…”  

The noise echoed in the cramped space, one heave after another.  

Although everyone was long accustomed to using this public toilet, Zhou Qiqi’s vivid description suddenly painted a clear picture in their minds, triggering involuntary imaginations.  

And once that imagination started, well, the urge to vomit was unstoppable!  

Not only were they thinking about their own business, but others’ too—how could anyone stay in that outhouse without feeling awkward?  

In less than a minute, several military wives rushed out of the toilet in a panic.  

Their eyes darted around guiltily, and when they saw Zhou Qiqi standing at the door, they quickly covered their faces like thieves caught red-handed, scurrying away in a hurry.  

Only Qiu Chunfang, whose face was as thick as a city wall, remained completely unaffected by Zhou Qiqi’s words.  

She swaggered past Zhou Qiqi, deliberately planting her hands on her hips and shooting her a fierce glare.  

Then, with a “ptui,” she spat on the ground and muttered under her breath.  

“Little brat, all you can do is flap that sharp tongue of yours. Let’s see how you come begging to me later!”  

“I beg your grandma’s leg~!”  

Zhou Qiqi fired back without hesitation, rolling her eyes at Qiu Chunfang.  

Her mood wasn’t dampened in the slightest—getting worked up over someone like that would just be asking for trouble.  

Now that the outhouse was empty, Zhou Qiqi strolled in leisurely, took care of her business comfortably, then hummed a little tune as she headed home to cook.  

On the way back, she spotted a lush wild peppercorn tree and her eyes lit up. She plucked a handful of tender green peppercorn leaves.  

Earlier, after returning from the logistics office, she had quickly kneaded the dough and covered it with a damp cloth, leaving it in a warm, sunny spot to rise.  

Now, when she lifted the cloth, the dough had risen perfectly—big and fluffy.  

She evenly kneaded the chopped peppercorn leaves into the dough, and instantly, a unique fragrance filled the kitchen.  

After kneading it well, she cut the dough into small portions, stood them up, gently flattened them, and rolled them into thin, round discs. Then, she covered them again with the damp cloth for a second rise.  

Soon, the soft, ready-to-fry flatbreads were prepped.  

Back in college, when neither of her divorced parents (who had started new families) gave her an allowance, Zhou Qiqi had worked part-time jobs to get by.  

She’d worked at breakfast stalls and small restaurants, so she’d picked up quite a few skills.  

While waiting, she soaked some red beans and cooked a pot of red bean porridge.  

She also stir-fried some spicy and sour shredded potatoes, sautéed carrots, and scrambled eggs with chili peppers.  

By dinnertime, Zhouzhou was the first one home. After washing her hands, she went straight to her room, quietly doing her homework without making a fuss.  

Zhou Qiqi estimated that Shen Huaichuan would be back soon, so she heated oil in the pan to fry the flatbreads.  

The coal stove burned fiercely, and the oil heated up quickly, sizzling loudly.  

As each flatbread was dropped into the oil, golden bubbles immediately fizzed and danced around them. In no time, the flatbreads turned a tempting golden brown, their aroma filling the entire house.  

When Shen Huaichuan pushed the door open, a rich, savory fragrance greeted him. The house was warm and cozy, with steam rising from the kitchen.  

His heart swelled, and his steps lightened. As the family sat down at the table, he couldn’t help but ask,  

“Why did you make these?”  

Zhou Qiqi picked up a flatbread and placed it in Shen Huaichuan’s bowl, blinking her big, watery eyes.  

“Qin Shi said you liked them, so I made some. Try it and see if it’s good!”  

Shen Huaichuan took the flatbread but didn’t eat it right away. Instead, he noticed Zhou Qiqi’s slightly reddened ears and asked softly,  

“Did something go wrong with the outhouse renovation approval?”  

Zhou Qiqi hadn’t expected him to guess so quickly, and her heart skipped a beat.  

Still, she forced herself to stay calm. “Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after dinner.”  

Even though she’d fiercely confronted those military wives earlier, bringing up toilet-related matters during a meal would inevitably conjure unpleasant mental images—and ruin her appetite.  

After dinner, Zhouzhou went back to her room to continue her homework, while Shen Huaichuan took the initiative to clear the table and wash the dishes.  

Zhou Qiqi followed him into the kitchen and hovered nearby, explaining the two issues Logistics Director Lin had mentioned.  

“I was thinking of taking a detour around the right side, but that would cost an extra three hundred yuan—bringing the total to a thousand.”  

After laying out the situation, she nervously bit her lip.

After saying this, she felt a little embarrassed herself. After all, in this era, a thousand yuan was no small sum.  

Most people only earned sixty or seventy yuan a month. Even if they saved every penny for sixteen months, they still wouldn’t have that much.  

She thought Shen Huaichuan would definitely refuse such a huge expense—or at least ask her to try negotiating with Qiu Chunfang again.  

She had already prepared her arguments, ready to fight her case.  

After all, she’d laid the groundwork so thoroughly.  

But to her surprise, Shen Huaichuan didn’t even pause in washing the dishes. He just nodded casually, as if it were no big deal, and said, “Up to you.”  

Zhou Qiqi froze for a moment, then her eyes widened in disbelief. She tiptoed closer to Shen Huaichuan’s ear and asked loudly,  

“Really? A thousand yuan! Just like that?”  

She was afraid he hadn’t heard her clearly.  

But she forgot that her current body wasn’t very strong. As she strained on her tiptoes, her ankles couldn’t support her weight, and she wobbled unsteadily, crashing into Shen Huaichuan’s back.  

Shen Huaichuan reacted instantly, turning swiftly and catching her with a strong arm, steadying her.  

Zhou Qiqi tumbled straight into his warm embrace, breathing in the fresh scent of soap on him as his clear, pleasant voice sounded above her head.  

“Really. Be careful.”  

Her mind was a mess. Even though she hadn’t cared about what those wives said earlier, for some reason, she found herself pouting and muttering under her breath,  

“You should think carefully. This money could be enough to marry two wives.”  

Her tone was sour, carrying a hint of inexplicable grievance, but it also sounded sweet and coquettish, making Shen Huaichuan’s chest burn. His arm tightened slightly around her as he said softly,  

“I already have a wife.”  

Thump… thump… thump…!

Zhou Qiqi suddenly heard an intermittent sound. At first, she thought it was her own heartbeat, pounding so loudly she could hear it. Instantly, her cheeks burned as if on fire.  

But the next second, a timid voice came from outside the courtyard gate.  

“Qiqi, it’s me… Zhu Yingying. Are… are you home?”  

Hearing the voice, Zhou Qiqi quickly scrambled out of Shen Huaichuan’s arms like a startled rabbit.  

“It’s Yingying! Perfect timing to discuss things with her.”  

She and Shen Huaichuan had settled the matter between themselves, but they hadn’t yet consulted Zhu Yingying.  

Early that morning, she had gone to knock on Zhu Yingying’s door, but no one was home.  

Upon asking around, she learned that Zhu Yingying was fluent in several foreign languages and usually worked as a translator for the military press, handling specialized foreign books and documents. Today, she had gone to the military district to deliver some materials.  

In 1982, being proficient in multiple foreign languages—especially capable of translating technical documents—was no small feat. It marked her as a highly skilled professional.  

Who would’ve thought that unassuming Yingying was so impressive?  

Zhou Qiqi praised her a few times, but when she saw Zhu Yingying blush, she quickly changed the subject, pulling her inside to discuss the toilet renovation in detail.  

As it turned out, Zhu Yingying had come to talk about the very same matter.  

On her way back, she had overheard many people gossiping about it.  

“Qiqi, are you really going to build a toilet? Maybe… maybe you shouldn’t. The things they’re saying are so nasty…”  

Seeing her timid demeanor, Zhou Qiqi sighed helplessly.  

“What did I tell you before? Ignore what they say! We live for ourselves, not for others’ opinions!”  

“Alright…”  

Though Zhu Yingying felt Zhou Qiqi’s words made sense, changing one’s mindset wasn’t something that happened overnight. She could only reply,  

“I’ll talk to Old Wang about it and give you an answer tomorrow morning. It shouldn’t be a problem.”  

“Okay.”  

Zhou Qiqi nodded.  

That evening, she and Shen Huaichuan sat at the table, carefully calculating the costs.  

Building materials would be the biggest expense.  

For labor, they could just hire skilled craftsmen.  

As for digging trenches and other manual work, the regiment had plenty of strong men who could help out.  

This way, the construction period could be significantly shortened.  

Director Lin had previously estimated the toilet construction at 750 yuan and the shower room at 250 yuan.  

After careful budgeting, they could save a considerable amount. The final cost of the detour route would only be 150 yuan more than the original plan.  

Zhou Qiqi immediately felt much better about the plan, thinking it was feasible.  

But what she never expected was that the next morning, Zhu Yingying would give her another huge surprise!